Problems related to reintroduction of confiscated lorises to the wild

Initial explanation of the use of some terms in this website to avoid misunderstanding (partly based on IUCN information and Griffith et al. 1998, see also first aid and rescue chapter):
Rehabilitation: here used for the process of restoring an animal´s health, behavioural training and other measures prior to release
Translocation: transport of organisms or populations from one part of their range to another:
Conservation / benign introduction: an attempt to establish a species, for the purpose of conservation, within an appropriate habitat and eco-geographical area, but outside its recorded distribution area.
Reintroduction: an attempt to establish a species in an area which was once part of its historical range, but from which it had been extirpated or become extinct. (This term is sometimes used in a wider sense, including rehabilitation prior to release and monitoring after release).
Re-inforcement, Supplementation: addition of individuals to an existing population of conspecifics.
Release: used here for the process of release into the wild (preparations and later monitoring not included)
 

Reintroduction may cause some problems for surviving wild populations and ecosystems if not properly planned. In particular the following problems may occur:

• Transmission of diseases: while animals are in captivity, under stress, often in close contact with other animals at traders and exposed to diseases against which they are not immune, they may be infected and after reintroduction transmit diseases from other regions into immunologically naïve wild populations
• Genetic problems because of introduction of animals from other regions into local wild populations may cause reproductive problems or mixing of a local population with specimens adapted to different ecological conditions, with resulting offspring of introduced animals and their hybrids possibly infertile or with reduced viability.
• Overpopulation or fighting with introduced animals may threaten local populations
• Danger for local ecosystems by introduction of animals adapted to other ecological conditions
• Death of reintroduced animals

• Rearing conditions necessary to ensure the development of physical and other abilities needed for survival in the wild: influence of early experience, occurrence of imprinting, for instance on certain food (Apfelbach, 1995, Sachser, Beer, 1995), possibly lasting influence of nutrition during early youth on later behaviour (Pollack, 1994)
• Age-related changes of adaptability of captive-bred animals to unfamiliar conditions in the wild
• Training and other strategies for successful reintroduction
• Necessary health checks before reintroduction to avoid spreading of infectious diseases from captive facilities into wild populations, measures to prevent losses of pathogen-free and therefore immunologically naive re-introduced animals because of endemic pathogens (Plowright, 1988, May, 1991, Woodford, Kock, 1991, Mills 1999).
• Criteria for choice of suitable habitats containing critical resources
• Monitoring of reintroduction success

Some links to other websites:

• IUCN/SSC Re-Introduction Specialist Group (RSG): The Reintroduction Specialist Group is part of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC and provides a network between reintroduction practioners worldwide, and guidance for re-introduction projects.
• Homepage: http://www.iucnsscrsg.org/index.php
• IUCN RSG downloads page for reintroduction guidelines: http://www.iucnsscrsg.org/policy_guidelines.php

 
• Woodford: Quarantine and health screening protocols for wildlife prior to translocation and release into the wild (complete reference see below under literature): 
  http://www.ccwhc.ca/wildlife_health_topics/risk_analysis/Quarantine.pdf
  Printed editon at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Quarantine-Screening-Protocols-Wildlife-Translocation/dp/9290445203.

 
• Griffith, B.; Comly, L. M.; Chilelli, M.; Rock, K, R.; Scott, J. M.; Tear, T. H.; Carpenter, J. W., 1998: An annotated Bibliography of Wildlife Translocations: http://mercury.bio.uaf.edu/~brad_griffith/translocation.shtml

Some literature:
 

Loris, potto reintroduction:

Streicher, U.; Nadler, T., 2003: Re-introduction of pygmy lorises in Vietnam. Reintroduction News (Newsletter of the IUCN Reintroduction Specialist Group) 23: 37-40.
See IUCN/SSC Re-Introduction Specialist Group (RSG) download page for newsletters: http://www.iucnsscrsg.org/newsletters.php

General:

Gipps, J. H. W., (ed.), 1991: Beyond captive breeding. Re-introducing endangered mammals to the wild. Proceedings of a symposium held at the Zoological Society of London on 24th and 25th Nov. 1989. Clarendon Press, Oxford.

Foose, T. J., 1991: Viable population strategies for reintroduction programmes. Pp. 165-172 in: Gipps, J. W. H. (ed.): Beyond captive breeding; re-introducing captive mammals to the wild. Oxford, Clarendon Press. May, R. M., 1991: The role of ecological theory in planning reintroduction. Pp. 145-163 in: Gipps, J. W. H. (ed.): Beyond captive breeding. Re-introducing captive mammals to the wild. Clarendon Press, Oxford.

Kleiman, D. G., 1989: Reintroduction of captive mammals for conservation. Bioscience 39 (3): 152-161.
 

Disease transmission:

Mills, C., 1999: The wild, wild pest. The Sciences , March / April 1999: 10-13 (New York Academy of Sciences, New York).

Plowright, W., 1988: Viruses transmissible between wild and domestic animals. Pp. 175-194 in: Reproduction and disease in captive and wild animals; Smith, G. R.; Hearn, J. P. (eds.), Symposia of the Zoological Society of London 60, Clarendon Press, Oxford.

Woodford, H. M. (ed.), 2000: Quarantine and health screening protocols for wildlife prior to translocation and release into the wild.
Published jointly by the IUCN Species Survival Commission's Veterinary Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland, the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), Paris, France, Care for the Wild, U.K., and the European Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians, Switzerland. Available from: Care for the Wild International, Ashfolds, West Sussex RH12 4QX, UK or as a PDF file under http://wildlife.usask.ca/bookhtml/RiskAnalysis/Quarantine.pdf. (Link: above)

Woodford, M. H.; Kock, R. A., 1991: Veterinary considerations in re-introduction and translocation projects. Pp. 101-110 in: Gipps, J. W. H. (ed.): Beyond captive breeding. Re-introducing captive mammals to the wild. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
 
 

Behaviour: natal and early influences on development

Apfelbach, R., 1995: Olfactory imprinting to food odours: the example of the European ferret (Mustela putorius f. furo L.). Pp 176-186 in: Ganslosser, U., Hodges, J. K., Kaumanns, W. (eds.): Research and captive propagation. Filander, Fürth.

Davis, J. M.; Stamps, J. A., 2004: The effects of natal experience on habitat preferences. Trends Ecol. Evol. 19 (8):411-416.   ISSN: 0169-5347
     Content: natal habitat preference induction (NHPI), resulting individual difference in habitat preference

Metcalfe, N. B.; Monaghan, P., 2001: Compensation for a bad start: grow now, pay later? Tree 16: 254-260.
     Content: effect of insufficient feeding during ontogeny on later life, compensation, overcompensation.

Pollack, V., 1994: Verändern verschiedene Futterqualitäten während der Nestlingszeit das Verhalten von Amseln? [Do different food qualities during nestling period change the behaviour of blackbirds?] Diplomarbeit, Universität Innsbruck, Austria (German).
    Content: in two bird species, groups reared with natural food (insects) later, during adulthood, showed quantitative behavioural differences as compared to a group reared with other food (both groups looked healthy)

Sachser, N.; Beer, R., 1995: Longterm influences of social situation and socialization on adaptability in behaviour. Pp 207-214 in: Ganslosser, U., Hodges, J. K., Kaumanns, W. (eds.): Research and captive propagation. Filander, Fürth.

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Loris and potto conservation database - reintroduction

Last amendment: 7 January 2010